Perspectives
by ExArchmagus
Summary: 'Christmas' Oneshot. Until War is sated, it does not falter in it's onslaught. An onslaught that is mental, physical and emotional. Therefore, even in times that would usually be joyful, there are those that must endure hardships. Several tidbits regarding the thoughts of specific core characters during the Second War, or at least, what I believe they should be thinking.


Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam SEED/Gundam Seed Destiny

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Author's Note: I request a suspension of disbelief from my readers when it comes to the dates in this fic. At the time of writing this fic, gundamwiki states that the events of GSD lasted from early October to early/mid December or so. To me, that's unrealistically short, and it should have taken a longer time. To clarify, this fic takes place after the Battle of Crete and before the Destroy Massacre.

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Location: LCAM-01XA Archangel, somewhere in Eurasia

Time: Fifteen hundred hours, Eurasia time

Date: December 23rd, CE 73

A great amount of uncertainty surrounded the twin-legged, white and red behemoth as it flew through the sky, for her heading was unknown, as was her altitude. However, the entire vessel traveled through the air naturally cloaked from long range sight, by a chilly snowstorm nonetheless. Specs of individual flakes assaulted her bow head on but we're deflected to the sides as they clashed with unyielding, laminated metal plates. The Northern Wind howled with the ferocity that is to be expected at this time of year, but inside the Archangel herself, the issue of sound was very different.

Standing alone, and looking out the large window that was placed at the bridge tower's rear, the short haired blonde known as Cagalli Yula Attha stood with one foot in front of the other and her hands crossed in front of a filled chest.

"Snow..." She watched as the broken streams of frozen water rushed behind the vessel, and shivered at the very word. "Now I'm even more grateful about living in ORB. Couldn't bear to be out there right now." She muttered aloud, assuming that no one else was nearby.

"You don't like snow? Well, you weren't in Heliopolis for very long." And she was wrong, as the voice of a growing male figure approached from the left hand path. "There you are! Been searching for you for a while." Kira said in a somewhat ecstatic tone as he approached his sister, who didn't even move a single muscle to face him, while he placed his hands down on the window sill.

"Yeah, here I am." She said faintly, while his 'protective brother senses' realized that something was wrong. "Why were you looking for me?"

"Well, I wanted to talk." He began. "I haven't seen or heard from you since... well since..." Kira exhaled in an audible fashion as his voice disappeared.

"Since that 'meeting' we had on the bridge a while ago, after we picked up the Takemikazuchi's survivors. Yeah. I know." Cagalli said sharply before turning right at Kira. "There's nothing I can really do of use right now. So, I've just been looking outside. Looking at the snow flakes fall, one by one, or many at once. Looking at something..." She grabbed the side of her head with her right palm. "... something I have no control over."

"I don't understand." Kira cocked an eyebrow. "It's the weather. You can't control the weather..."

"Well... no shit!" She growled, although he didn't feel that she was being really aggressive. "That's not what I meant, it's symbolic." She explained.

"Symbolic?" Kira asked.

"Snow falls in complete flakes, and then it melts or conforms. In either case, the flake falls and dies. Just like... just like _my _soldiers, back then..." She shook her head in disgust.

"Cagalli..." Kira leaned in closer and spoke in a caring tone. "Don't think about it too much."

"How can I not think 'about it too much'? It's been on my mind ever since... ever since that battle ended, and chances are, it's not going away any time soon." She muttered with depression, before taking a deep breath. "I tried my best. I tried to stop the fighting, but I was powerless. In fact, it would have been better for ORB if I didn't say anything at all. How... cruel is that?"

"Cruel... yes, but the ORB Fleet set sail and took a long time to..."

"I met Captain Todaka once, and I had a chance to get to know him a year or so ago. He's not a blazing patriot by any means, but he does have his reasons for living in ORB. If he was given a chance to turn and leave... to break it up, he would have. But... grrr..." She grumbled with anger. "At least my father would have a solution to a problem like this."

"You think this wouldn't have happened if Lord Uzumi was still alive?" Kira inquired.

"Of course not! My father did his best to make sure that his people made it out of any political issue in the best way possible, even if it meant the ultimate sacrifice on his part, which it did! Me... I can't even..." She looked at her two bare hands. "I haven't been able to do anything since Junius Seven fell. Those with agendas have been able to carry them out."

"That's not..." Kira slowly motioned one hand towards her left shoulder, only to have her shrug it away.

"Yes it is." She snarled, and then paused for a few seconds. "Tell me, what did you _two_ actually talk about, back there. I didn't hear the entire conversation. Was it really necessary to completely disable _his _mobile suit like that? Described the situation to Murdock a few hours ago or so... way he sees it that gundam will never fly again.

"It's not _my _fault _he_ got in _my_ way." Kira shook his head. "In Athrun's eyes, we had no business being there. He even asked me if I wanted the Earth Forces to destroy the Minerva..." Kira trailed on.

"What?" Cagalli looked at her brother with a perplexed gaze. "Last I checked, you stopped that Murasame from firing point blank at their bridge."

"Well... yeah..." Kira blushed back a little, only to have Cagalli face the window again.

"Sometimes... sometimes." She sighed. "No business being there. I am the Chief Representative of the ORB Union. Any conflict that my soldiers are taking part in... is damn right my business!" She let off a low roar with a tad of fiery ferocity.

"I know... you don't need to tell me that... tell Athrun."

"Too late now." Cagalli calmed. "Damage has been done. Even if I did try to explain it.. he won't get it... like you said. He just... expects me to stay in ORB and magically handle everything with perfect political precision while he prances about on his own and does whatever the hell he wants." She said with an extreme sense of cynicism. "_Yeah right._"

"It's not like that, Cagalli. You know Athrun has the best intentions in mind. To be honest, I think he's doing this... to protect you." Kira stated with a degree of uncertainty, as if he wasn't agreeing with his own words.

"Protect me?" She put her right hand down, and slid it into her pocket, as if she was fiddling with something. "Pah." She almost spat at the back window in disgust. "I highly doubt he's really doing this 'for me', or 'for my protection', Kira, or if he did, I'd like to know what was running through his mind when he made his decisions. In fact, I'm starting to doubt whether or not he even loves me... for _who I am, _instead of _who he wants me to be_." She quickly pulled her hand out of her pocket, as if she wanted to pull her fingers away from something extremely vile, and as she did, she heard Kira breath heavily, just before he spoke.

"I guess that's something you'll need to resolve with him, when the time comes, and if it does." Kira advised, trying to drop the subject. "But know now... Cagalli, you're not powerless. Not in the slightest." And then, the two locked eyes together. "Because... no matter what happens, _I _will fight for _you._" Then he smiled, as she cocked her own eyebrow and chuckled lightly, thanking him.

"Thank you, Kira. Thank you... and the entire Archangel crew, during these tough times. You've stood by my back and have helped me... I can't say the same for many during these times."

"Yes..." Kira shook his head with approval. "Anyway, before I found you, I talked to the Murasame pilots we picked up. I believe they wish to have a word with you... a chance to talk, face to face, with their _leader." _Kira informed.

"You need not say anymore..." Cagalli moved away from the sill, put her back up straight and began to walk forward, with Kira trailing. Behind her, the snowstorm outside had trailed to a gentle breeze, and although there were dark clouds in the sky, no more did the snow fall from them. 'Father... you may have been able to solve many problems for your people, but at the same time, you created one for your daughter. If only... you had not have cursed me that day.' Cagalli though to herself as she advanced through the hallways.

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Location: LHM-BB01 Minerva, Gibraltar Base

Time: Sixteen hundred hours

Date: December 23rd, CE 73

While most of the base was rather silent, there was one specific corner of it which was buzzing with activity, or more specifically, sparks. Many miniscule, bright yellow flashes erupted from the armor of the Minerva as repair crews worked hastily to repair the damage she ship had weathered in her previous battle. In the meantime, the vessel's Captain, Talia Gladys, watched from the stern helipad as her vessel's vitality was renewed.

"Arthur..." As she heard footsteps from behind her, she stuck up her right hand in a receiving position. "New orders?" She questioned.

"Ugh... well, not exactly..." Arthur answered, stopping cold as he did.

"Has Shinn been causing trouble?" Talia asked another question.

"No, he's been rather tame... still in the same cell..."

"Tame... its how you describe an animal... how unfitting. I expected more..." She lowered her head a bit and paused for a second. "So if he's fine, and we haven't heard from command yet, why are you here?" She questioned in an expecting manner, while simultaneously turning to face him with crossed arms, eye for eye. Arthur, in reaction to this, to how she asked her questions, could only feel a bit stunned and a tad shocked. He thought now would be a good time to ask her a few questions, but instead she was interrogating him. "I understand..." She hummed in response to his silence and then looked up at the cloudy sky. Without him noticing though, Talia seemed to smile. "It's funny, you know. Living in the PLANTs your whole life, in an environment that both controlled..."

"Yes... we're all told at a young age... that the weather in the PLANTs is made to replicate the Earth's, depending on which colony you lived in." Arthur replied with uncertainty, completely unaware of what his Captain was trying to get at.

"Indeed, Arthur. Indeed. But doesn't it seem ironic, that at this time of year, an entire city would be under artificial snow, yet while we are on Earth itself... there isn't any?" She looked him in the eyes.

"Well, obvi-ously i-it depends-s on w-where on Ear-th... you are." Arthur stuttered with a quiet blush, but then seemed balance himself, mentally. "After all... eh um, some places on Earth never see snow, ever, at all! Some places always see that stuff! Every day of every week at every hour. It makes you think about what would happen if we were in one of those places. The cold would be hell on the repair crews!" He gave off an uncomfortable, hushed chuckle.

"Calm down, Arthur." Talia gently warned. "But, I see your point. Right now our crew works unobstructed by the weather. It's actually a lot like space repairs, now that I think about it."

"Just without the space suits and zero gravity, right." Arthur reinforced.

"Obviously..." Talia slowly nodded in a 'simmer' manner. "Still, even in times of healing, it's best not to keep our guard down. Something we learned all to well back at Armory One." Talia sighed. "Who knows what's going to come at us next. Something tells me this war hasn't even 'started' yet."

"And already everything's ending in the worst case scenario. It's like they're out to get us."

"Not really, Arthur." Talia smiled. "We haven't had a worst case scenario yet." He cocked an eyebrow as she looked at him with a smirk. "After all, we're still alive." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh..." He popped backwards. "Well, yeah..."

"But still..." Talia turned away and crossed her arms once more, while a cold, strong breeze rushed past them both. "We've got to bear the burdens of what we've seen and done and failed to stop..." She mentioned as her hair flailed around in the wind and the air whistled into her ears. "Go inside and check for a status update. I'd like to know whats going to happen to Shinn, now." She bit her lip.

"Uh... yes, ma'am!" With a burst of energy, Arthur proudly saluted his Captain, and then left.

* * *

Minerva brig:

The room was dark, gloomy, and a tad damp. The cells were lined against the walls, but all were open wide, for when the time came that they needed to house someone. All of them, except for one, where Shinn Asuka sat, alone. His right leg was bent upwards at his chest and his right palm was placed on it's knee. His left leg remained stretched out, trying to reach the other end of the cell as he rest in the back corner with his left palm supporting one side of his head. He was as silent as a church mouse in the middle of the night, but he wasn't asleep. For in place of rest, there was thought, conscious thought.

'Stella...' Shinn thought. 'You deserved better... a lot better, then what they were willing to give you. What happened to you... shouldn't be allowed to happen, TO ANYONE!' His fiery red eyes glared with anger as his silent breath transformed to a very low growl. 'Your life, your innocence, was taken from you... early on, and never given back. And for what, so the doctor can 'dissect you'? It's sick and it's wrong, what they were willing to do to you. Even if they kill me, it'll be worth it, as long as you're allowed to live a happy life from now on.

I'm willing to pay the price because _I _signed up to this, because _I _had everything taken from me, and _I _have nothing to truly live for, besides myself. But you were different. I'm willing to pay the price, whatever it may be, because you didn't deserve what they were willing to give you...' The black haired coordinator remained silent as a shadow, locked away in the vessel's darkest corridor. His one spark of hope being that Neo Roanoke, a man who he didn't even know besides the fact that they were enemies, would keep his word. 'It was a gamble I was willing to take because... _I think I love you._'

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Location: Office of the PLANT Supreme Council Chairman

Time: Twenty-two hundred hours PLANT time

Date: December 23rd, CE 73

The entire chamber, as vast and encompassing as it was, was very dark, and almost completely silent. The one source of sound echoed off of every single wall multiple times, bouncing back and fourth over and over. The source of this sound was one man, sitting in his chair with a form all too similar to a statue's, if not for his right arm, which moved actively, and his eyes, which blinked at regular intervals.

"Hmm..." Emanated from Gilbert Durandal's nose as his stared at the glass chess board in front of him, it's pieces facing a direction perpendicular to his line of sight. The game was in motion, and both sides had made their opening moves. Black and white alike had alright lost a few pawns each, but neither side was showing any true sign of failure, yet. One thing that should be noted is that although the position of the black team's pieces seemed to indicate a sense of unity and collectiveness, the same could not be said for the white pieces, which seemed to be divided into two different, distinct camps.

"It appears..." Durandal reached for one of the glimmering glass pawns that had been removed from the board, and pincered it's apex bulb with his right thumb and first finger. "That Miss Meer suffered an unfortunate accident a couple days ago. The theft of her shuttle, by the hands of a meddling _imposter..." _Durandal sighed, lifting the pawn up and holding it above the board, only to rattle it back and fourth by wrist. "Then again, that doesn't mean that she's out of the game yet. After all, it was an accident." The golden-eyed chairman placed the pawn back down on the chess board, resetting it's position on the black side.

"There've been worse things that's happened over the couple weeks or so." He looked towards the back row of the black side, specifically at the rook which was closest to him. "...Minerva managed to capture an extended." Groaning bitterly, he lifted the black rook up and quickly pulled it forward, in the air, towards the other side of the board, where it swiftly knocked a white pawn, one of three, specifically, that were clumped together like a group. "Then, days later, he dealt a swift death to another one..." The black rook shifted to the right and knocked out another one of the white pawns. As a finishing move, Durandal placed the black rook directly in the center field, as a sign of it's triumph over numerous enemies.

"However, it was not soon after, that the actions of that same pilot cost us our chance to... 'do anything' with that girl..." He picked up the two white pawns and placed them both off the field. One of them was placed in such a way that it _stayed down_ while the other was erect, as it if it was waiting to recover before entering the fray again. After all, Durandal was playing chess by a different set of rules. Rules that he made himself. Rules that were meant to reflect relevant events.

"His actions did not go unpunished, considering the name of the women whom he knows as his superior..." The Chairman then launched his right hand towards the middle of black's side of the board and grasped his most powerful offensive piece, the authoritative black queen. "No... she did not take too kindly to his actions..." And like that, the black queen dealt a powerful blow to her own rook, shoving it off the board in such a way that it still stood up, but wobbled uncomfortably for a minute. "Not kindly at all..." He placed the black queen back at the side of the black king, where she belonged; where they both felt comfortable. "However, she alone cannot decide his ultimate fate..." Durandal lowered his head a little and sighed, while also closing his eyes for a few seconds in complication. "Such wondrous potential... such opportunity..." He looked back at the jailed black rook. "To be wasted? Over a trivial mishap such as this? Over an emotional response? Maybe! Such potential is only useful if it can be leashed. I must think about his punishment... for a while longer. For now..." Durandal blinked, and like that, the black rook was out of his vision, only to be replaced by another piece.

"For now..." He looked towards one of the black knights. In fact, this was the only black knight remaining on the field, for the other, which was closer to his heart, had fallen only recently. This black knight, in contrast, was both upright, and far away from him and seemed to glow with a faint red tinge as it nestled itself on the foot of the white's territory. "... there's him..." He gently placed his right pinky on the mane of the knight's horse, and used it to wobble the piece back and fourth, while also mumbling 'tsk tsk' to himself. "Such a disappointment, to stand on even ground..." Durandal sighed in pain, tilting the knight uncomfortably over to one side and then halting it's movement. "... and yet be defeated so easily." He balanced the piece once more, and let go of it, only to reach for another piece: The _white knight_, which seemed to be staring the black knight down, and vice versa. Then, with movement that suggested great disapproval, the white knight moved several spaces over and struck down the black knight with a decisive, overpowering attack. Durandal let the black knight wobble on it's side for a few seconds, and then raised it up to his golden eyes.

"I had more _faith _in you." He held it in front of his eyes, twisting it back and fourth, admiring the light as it reflected and refracted off of several angles. "The excessive power that I granted you... it was never because you _deserved _it, or that you had done anything to _earn it. _Unlike her..." He glanced over to the black queen for a split second. "She earned her keep, with her on the field, you have no _real _authority, only the _delusion _of it. But delusions are enough for you... it's power to feed your ego... your need to feel in charge and in control, to be able to settle any dispute simply by your authority and might alone and then try and play it off as if you were _in the right by default_... as if your views cannot be challenged." Durandal chuckled a little, as if he was being entertained at a comedy club. "You haven't learned, but I hope what happened the other day will force you to understand, for once... let's just hope so." He placed the black knight back on his desk, behind the board and in a knocked over state.

"In time, we'll see if you're even capable of understanding... and if not, then you **will** receive your _just_ desserts." He placed his right fingers down on his desk and started to tap them in a rhythmic way, as if he was contemplating on what pieces to focus on next. However, the Chairman's concentration was broken, for just as he was about to reach for another glass figure, his own phone began to ring relentlessly.

"Hello?" He questioned into the phone. "Speaking." He answered as the person on the other end called out his name. After that, Durandal went silent, and listened to his informer. After fifteen seconds or so, something inside of him seemed to 'click', for his eyes widened a tad and his breathing became strained slightly. "Is that so?" He questioned in a serious tone. "Well then, I want all of our available forces in Eurasia diverted to _it's _specified location immediately! Have any cities that lie in it's path evacuated as soon as possible! I want updates on the situation every hour on the hour! Is that clear?" Durandal demanded in a stern voice. Seconds later, the frown of depression which had formed upon his lips seemed to lift upwards, if only by a hair. "Good. Call an emergency council meeting as soon as it's possible." Durandal placed the phone back down and hung up, although his body itself seemed to be tensing up a little.

"So, the Earth Alliance, has decided to raise the stakes? So be it. If they're all in, so are we..." He angrily muttered to himself, only to look back down on the chess board, towards the small group of white pieces which consisted of a knight, rook, bishop, and only recently, one pawn, rather than three. "It won't be long anyway..." His frown transformed into a deep smirk.

"Until the true puppeteers behind this war are revealed... for all to see, and all to condemn." He then moved his right hand over to the black rook which he moved around earlier. "However before that happens, we must make sure our priorities are straight. If we're to deliver the coup de grace... then our best will need to be in a fighting stance, not waiting for punishment." Durandal lifted the black rook up and placed it back on the board, directly in the center of the field, ready for action. Following that, Durandal moved the black queen forward, so that it was directly next to the black rook. The two of them, together, were a formidable fighting force, and one that he hoped would be able to bring this entire conflict to an end. He then shifted his gaze towards the other side of the board, focusing on the largest group of white pieces.

"It would be idiotic on my part to assume that we'd be the only ones trying to confront such an enemy. No, _they..."_ He picked up the white knight from earlier, as well as one of the white bishops, and the white king, which was huddled near both of the, and then moved them towards the center of the field. "...will be there too, making an effort." He looked at the five pieces in the middle. "They will meet each other again in combat, as they have before. Except this time..." Durandal looked behind the black side of the board, where one of the defeated pawns, as well as the other black knight, who did not shimmer with a red glow, but rather a greyish-purple glimmer, stood, defeated but not dead.

_"She _will not be at her full strength." Durandal commented, and following that, he tapped the crown of the white king gently and let it wobble sadly. "It is sad though, that the opposing king... cannot manage to keep reign over the majority of _her _own soldiers, as demonstrated at the Dardanelles, and at Crete..." He mumbled, only to look at the back of the board, where the remaining white pieces rested. With a glare of utter hatred and contempt, he looked directly at the white queen as she stood up, arrogantly, behind all other pieces, safe from harm and from view in such a way that she seemed to be safer than the _black king._ Then, he spoke a few final words before lifting up his phone again and dialing a number. "When the queen has more power than the king, you _know _something is dreadfully wrong in the world..."


End file.
